No place for vape traders in Perak
THE STAR
IPOH: Perak is the latest state to stop issuing premises licences to sellers of e-cigarettes and vape products.
State health committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon announced that all local authorities in the state have been directed to stop the issuance with immediate effect.
“To date, 23 of 90 e-cigarettes and vape traders have been issued with premises licences. We will see how to deal with them later on.
“We are still waiting for the final decision from the Federal Government and the Health Ministry. In the meantime, we have decided to go ahead with this move.
“The state government’s stand is very clear. For us, the health of the rakyat is the top priority,” he told reporters after closing a state-level anti-vape seminar here yesterday.
State deputy health director (pharmacy) Dr Mohd Yunos Shaarim said e-liquids containing nicotine should only be sold or supplied by licensed pharmacists and registered medical practitioners for therapeutic use, according to the Poisons Act 1952 (Revised 1989).
“This means e-liquids containing nicotine cannot be sold by others.
“Those selling items containing nicotine need to have the permission of the Drug Control Authority. But, none of the e-cigarettes and vape traders in the state have permission,” he added.
According to state health director Datuk Dr Juita Ghazalie, the department’s pharmacy unit has never issued any licence to e-cigarettes and vape traders in Perak.
She maintained that as far as the department was concerned, the sale and supply of nicotine-filled e-liquids by vape traders, whether or not they held premises licences, was still illegal.
“Our department will be keeping a close eye on these traders, even though we have been directed by the ministry to hold on until it makes its decision,” she said.
